"Start local, grow global."

In Strategies for international success: Lessons from six Canadian firms, the project team (Dr. Paul Boothe, Alister Smith, and Philippa French) interviewed executives about their success in going global.

To understand the business strategies involved in going global and being successful in international markets, the team spoke to representatives from the following six firms:

Getting to 2030: Comparing and coordinating provincial climate policies analyzes carbon policies in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec by effectiveness and cost. Effectiveness is measured by achievements in emissions reductions overall, and the cost of reductions. It also outlines how the federation can come together to achieve Canada's national 2030 greenhouse gas target.

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Canadian Medicare enjoys pride of place as Canada’s most revered and cherished social programs. The peculiar way in which medical necessity is defined in the Canada Health Act (medically necessary services are those provided in hospital or by a physician), was appropriate in the 1960s and ’70s when it was originally established, a time when hospital and physician services accounted for 60% of total spending. That figure now stands at around 40% due to changes in technology and demographic...

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Toward a Toronto Region Economic Strategy reveals that it's time for a re-think of the Toronto region's economy. This collaboration between the Board and the Institute for Competitiveness & Prosperity, sponsored by KPMG, proposes a framework for a regional economic strategy and examines where Toronto excels, faces challenges, and provides opportunities for consideration for the region, not only to become more economically productive, but also to be a more liveable and prosperous region....read more

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There is a lively public debate about the “dead cash” problem in Canada. People are asking if companies are holding excessive amounts of cash and cash equivalents in reserve. After touching on this issue in the Eleventh Annual Report of the Task Force on Competitiveness, Productivity & Economic Progress, A push for growth, the Institute for Competitiveness & Prosperity has taken a deeper look at the dead cash issue to offer a way forward.

The purpose of this study was to provide an economic analysis of the relationship between scale and productivity in Canada’s food processing and its significance for Canadian public policy and management purposes. With the changing global agri-food environment and future demand opportunities, scale in food processing is one factor that allows participating Canadian firms to compete successfully in this environment. Large scale processing drives large scale demand for agricultural products,...

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The poor still pay more: Challenges low income families face in consuming a nutritious diet

Though much progress has been made with Ontario’s current Poverty Reduction Strategy, more needs to be done. A focus on food and healthy eating is crucial because it is the foundation for a society to function properly and effectively. We have three recommendations that address the challenges that low income families face in consuming a nutritious diet.

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Low-income Ontarians who are attempting to break out of poverty to achieve financial sustainability often find barriers in their way. In fact, many who try to break away from welfare and find employment face strong disincentives to work. They continue to struggle with insufficient work, low wages, and little-to-no wage progression.

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Toronto’s financial services industries are critical drivers of prosperity in the city region, in Ontario and across Canada. The Toronto Financial Services Alliance (TFSA) and the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MEDT) are working to develop a provincial strategy to support continued growth in the sector. In support of this work, the Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity has assessed the key strengths and weaknesses of the financial services cluster versus its...

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One of Ontario’s significant assets is Toronto’s biopharmaceutical cluster. The industry has excellent human and capital resources available to it and in employment terms it has become the eighth largest in North America. Nevertheless, the cluster represents untapped potential for Ontario’s competitiveness and prosperity. Despite its impressive factor conditions the cluster has not produced many world leading companies, wages are well below levels achieved in comparable US clusters, patent...